


Two Times Someone left Gabby Kinney, and One Times They Didn't

by eggosandxmen



Series: The Kinneys Deserve Better [1]
Category: All New Wolverine, X-23 (Comic), X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: 5 + 1, Gen, Minor Violence, Sisters, actually 2 + 1, theyre all trans, zeldas birthname is zander. bell's is rober. gabs is gabriel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-10 23:23:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12310044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eggosandxmen/pseuds/eggosandxmen
Summary: Gabby Kinney has a problem with sister leaving her, one way or another.





	Two Times Someone left Gabby Kinney, and One Times They Didn't

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my sisters with the prompt "I'm not leaving."

People always seem to leave.

Even those who promise not to, even those who say they will always be there and will always protect her.

Oftentimes it's not their fault, of course, but Gabby can't help but feel bitter.

1.

Being grown in a vat has its pluses. One is that you come out able to walk and talk and all the other things normal humans take years to learn how to do.

When Gabby came out of her tank, there were two doctors and two young children waiting for her. The oldest doctor christened her Four, called her Gabriel, and told the strong men in the corner to take her away. She kicked one of them and she screamed when he cracked a baton over her head.

 

When she came to, the young children from before were in front of her, in some sort of cage. The one with dark hair gave her a smile- she thinks it is a smile, anyway. She was born two hours ago. 

“Hi.” He says. “My name’s Zander.”

“ ‘M Gabriel.” Gabby says. “Why do you look so much like me?”

“Cloning.” Zander shrugs. “And Gabriel’s too formal. We’ll call you Gabe.”

“Can I see your head?” The one who hasn't spoken- with short white hair and bruised knuckles- says. 

“Why?” 

“‘Cause it might scar and scars are rad. Oh, and I'm Robert.” He says earnestly, looking all the world like some normal kid talking about candy, not about a bleeding gash on someone’s head.

Gabe squints. “Fine, if you tell me where we are.”

“We’re in Alchemax genetics, were lab experiments, we’re clones of X-23 who was clone from Weapon X, and we’re supposed to kill people.” Zander lists off, counting on his fingers while Robert- Rob? Bobby?- peers at her head.

"And I'm supposed to live with you two?"

"Yeah! You're our brother now, so we gotta protect you." Zander says, grinning. 

"Aren't we supposed to kill each other, though?"

"That's what they want. But I'm not gonna leave you, it's my job to... not kill you."

Gabe smiles.

 

Years later, when Gabby is clutching her big sister’s hand while the light fades from her eyes and blood seeps from her hospital gown, she laughs through her tears.

“You never ended up killing us.”

“I s-said I wouldn't, didn't I?” Zelda mutters. “I-I'm sorry, I know I promised not to leave.”

“You're not going to. Bellona is getting Wasp and Laura and you're going to be _fine_ , I swear-” she starts, but Zelda's hand goes limp before she finishes her sentence.

She begins to scream.

 

2.

When Gabby finally figured out that being a girl had nothing to do with what's in your pants and that killing people is just a fact of life, Zelda- Zelda, who Gabby named after a video game princess and who steals pizza for the others every three weeks- is taken for a mission. 

A _mission._

The first in a while- some mob boss is going to end up with a hole in their head by the end of the night, and Zelda is going to come home (though this place is not _home_. home is just her sisters, not here where she is poked and she is prodded for hours on end and the pain won't ever stop) with blood covering her hands and a blank look on her face and gabby cannot stand that these people can do these things to them. These things, these things that made Bellona covered head to toe in scars and Zelda’s mind blank again and again and again.

She looks over at her half asleep sister- Bellona, who hasn't gone on any missions because of her “rebellious behavior”- and speaks. 

“Are we ever going to get out of here?”

“What?”

“I mean, we can't just keep killing people for however long they want us to, we can’t do that. Maybe we could run. Maybe you could run, you're strong enough, I could hold them off-”

“Are you _insane_?”

“What? I know you've been wanting to run since you were made, it's nothing new-”

“Not about that, idiot. We are going to run, but there's no way in _fuck_ I'm leaving you here.”

“But you could escape-”

“No. I'm your older sister, am I not?”

“Yeah…” Gabby says, sitting down.

“And is it not my job to protect you?”

“Thought that was Zelda’s.” She scoffs.

“It's both of ours, you idiot.” 

“So you won't leave?”

“Not without you.”

“Are you getting _sappy _on me, Bellona Kinney?”__

__“Never.”_ _

__

__She never thought she'd miss that cell, but god, when Bellona gets on that hovercraft and waves slightly just before guards take her inside, Gabby wants nothing more than her cell, in her lab, with her sisters._ _

__+1_ _

__Laura is different._ _

__She's shorter than the others- barely 5’1. Gabby’s just a few inches smaller than her._ _

__She's less touchy, too. Distanced. Gabby has never doubted that Laura loves her, but it took months for them to fall asleep in the same bed _properly_ \- they had slept in the same bed since Gabby moved in, but Laura slept curled in on herself, facing away from Gabby. But eventually they slept right- tangled together and warm and _right_ , because Gabby missed sleeping with three others piled around her and Laura hated being alone._ _

__She heard Laura talking on the phone to some family- Guthrie? Gurton?- about taking her in. Her first thought was run, away from a place that wanted her gone and a sister that can't really be a sister._ _

__Then, of course, Squirrel Girl shows up at midnight with a rabid wolverine and a mission to save a family of squirrels. Because they're Kinney kids, and this is a normal part of life for Kinney kids._ _

__Laura comes home and touches her arm- the first time, she realizes, that Laura has ever purposely touched her._ _

__Laura explains that if she wants to stay, she can, and that she'll protect her._ _

__“I know,” she says, “That I can't replace your other sisters, and I don't want to, but I want you to know that you are _my_ sister, and I'll protect you.”_ _

__Gabby pulls her into a hug, then._ _

__“Please don't leave.” She mutters into the older girl's shoulder. “Don't leave me, not yet.”_ _

__“I won't.” Laura responds, holding her tighter._ _

__And Gabby can't help but believe her._ _

**Author's Note:**

> I love them and I'm sorry???? Comment & Kudo please!


End file.
